The Assassination of a High School President is a kitschy little indie film that everyone seemed to love (though it should be noted that a couple of those quotes come from professional sycophants), a film noir-meets-John Hughes high school movie. Whether it gets a release or goes straight to DVD is still up in the air depending on the distributor’s bankruptcy status.
Forget it, Jake. It’s…high school. With its noir roots, this stylish dark comedy pays homage to Roman Polanski’s CHINATOWN. Reece Thompson (ROCKET SCIENCE) stars as a school newspaper writer who uncovers a conspiracy that is rampant among the students and teachers. Mischa Barton (THE O.C.) plays the young femme fatale, while Bruce Willis is an unhinged principal. [RottenTomatoes]
Judging by the reviews they quote, I guess it’s supposed to be funny, but I wasn’t getting that from the trailer. Plus, there’s a big (*RECORD SCRATCH*) at the 30-second mark, and record scratches are always a bad sign. Movie trailers are like white people music in that regard.
ALSO: Just noticed this - is it just me, or is that the music from the Cialis commercial in the beginning of the trailer?
As first broken by Bloody-Disgusting, Dimension films has bought the rights to John Landis’ 1981 classic, An American Werewolf in London. (Landis also directed Animal House, Three Amigos, and Coming to America, among other things).
Landis wrote and directed the comedy-horror film, which starred David Naughton and Griffin Dunne as two American backpackers hiking in the Yorkshire moors attacked by a mysterious animal who turns out to be a werewolf. Naughton ends up terrorizing London while Dunne is a reanimated corpse suggesting ways for Naughton to kill himself and stop the curse. No writer or director is on board but Dimension and the producers hope to make an elevated genre picture that will keep the fun comedy elements of the original as it seeks to be relevant to contemporary audiences [that's business jargon for "we hope it's good" -Ed.]. [THR]
Okay, nerds, set phasers to “incredulous,” because I’ve never seen the original. (*hold for angry shouts of derision*). So if nothing else, this is a good reminder to add it to the Netflix queue. As for the remake, I’m crossing my fingers that it involves Zac Efron, Parkour, and Linkin Park. Wait, Linkin Parkour? I just had a totally xtreme idea…
This deleted scene from Terminator 3 (recently dug up by /Film) helps answer a question I never once thought to ask - why do the Terminators look like Arnold Schwartzenegger? (I always assumed it was because robots are strong). But this clip seems to suggest that Skynet used a real soldier as a model, “Chief Master Sergeant William Candy,” who, you guessed it, looks just like Arnold. Only he has a silly accent. Why? DUH, because silly accents are funny. Man, I’m kicking myself for never seeing this. If this was a deleted scene, imagine what they must’ve kept in!
(”I want a sandwich this big.”)
Guillermo Del Toro is so busy collecting paychecks from ten different projects that I can hardly keep track. According to IMDB, he currently has eight projects in development, seven that he produced currently in post production, plus writing and directing two Hobbit movies, not to mention that vampire book he co-wrote for some reason. He’s so busy that now he’s handing off projects to his ‘proteges,’ like this remake of Don’t be Afraid of the Dark, which is good because I’m sure the public absolutely couldn’t wait for this gem.
Guy Pearce is in final negotiations and Bailee Madison is set to star with Katie Holmes in “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark,” Miramax’s supernatural thriller being directed by Guillermo del Toro protege Troy Nixey. “Dark” is based on a 1973 ABC telefilm about a young girl who moves in with her father and his girlfriend and discovers they are sharing the house with demonic creatures. Del Toro and Matthew Robbins wrote the script. [THR]
Yep, a TV movie about a haunted house. Does anyone remember that or care besides Guillermo Del Toro? It doesn’t matter, he liked it and now he gets to remake it. Welcome to the era of cinematic karaoke.
We complain a lot about how movies are all remakes and stunt casting and undisguised toy commercials, but all it takes is the occasional news out of Broadway to remind us that it could be worse. That crappy movie you wasted $12 on will probably spawn a crappy play with singing and dancing and Bob Saget playing the lead for one week only and no special effects. On that note, 83-year-old Jerry Lewis is set to make his theater directing debut on a musical version of his 1963 film The Nutty Professor.
With music by Academy Award, Emmy Award, Grammy Award and Pulitzer Prize winner Marvin Hamlisch and a book and lyrics by multiple Tony Award winner and Grammy nominee Rupert Holmes, the musical is aiming for a bow on Broadway in the 2010-11 season.
Lewis stated, “I was born with show business in my blood and working on Broadway gets it coursing through my veins like no other place can. Marvin and Rupert have given one of my favorite and most enduring films…a hilarious and gorgeous adaptation for Broadway and I could not be happier. Does this story sing and dance? You bet it does.” [Playbill]
It sings, it dances, it falls asleep on the couch and complains about the Orientals. I’m a-tellin ya, Bimbo, this heah hootenanny is the elephant’s eyebrows. Hold on… Cholly, I can’t hear a word this dame’s a-singin. Can someone replace the hydro tubes on her amplification box?
You are currently browsing the archives for June, 2009.
